BIO SUMMARY
Full Name: Barbara Ann Mandrell
Birthdate: December 25, 1948
Birthplace: Houston, Texas
Sex: Female
Status: Married
Known For: American singer, vocalist, and actress.
Family: Irby Matthew Mandrell (Father), Mary Ellen (Mother), Thelma Louise Mandrell (Sister) Ellen Irlene Mandrell (Sister).
Barbara Mandrell is an American country music musician, singer, and actress born on December 25, 1948. She is one of America’s most successful female vocalists of all time.
Her music genres are County, Country Pop, and Nashville sound. She is also adept at playing the pedal steel guitar, accordion, banjo, piano, and saxophone.
She became famous for her work in the music industry which includes a long list of country hits released in the 1970s and 1980s as well as her variety TV show on NBC.
After a beautiful and successful career, Barbara Mandrell retired from performing music after a concert held on October 23, 1997, at the Grand Ole Opry House.
She has won several awards in what was an illustrious music career. Let us have a look at her biography. Who is Barbara Mandrell? Who is her family? Where is she from? What does she do? And what other significant details should you know about her?
FAMILY
Barbara Mandrell was born into a musical family in Houston, Texas on the Christmas day of 1948.
She is the first of three girls that her parents had. Her father, Irby Matthew Mandrell, was a veteran of the Second World War as well as a Texas police officer.
Irby Mandrell was also a musician and entrepreneur. With his musical knowledge, Barbara’s father managed her career and that of her sisters for over 30 years. He passed away on March 5, 2009.
Her mother, Mary Ellen, was also a musician and homemaker from Wayne County, Illinois.
Barbara’s sisters are Thelma Louise Mandrell and Ellen Irlene Mandrell. Both of them are also accomplished in the music industry.
Barbara Mandrell was 13 years old when her talents with the steel guitar at a Music trade convention in Chicago which her father took her to drew the attention of RCA Records producer, Chet Atkins as well as popular bandleader, Joe Maphis.
From then on, she began performing in Maphis’s Las Vegas night club show as well as subsequently going on several tours in the United States and Asia.
Barbara married Ken Dudney on May 28 1967, and their marriage is blessed with three children. S
She has two sons named Kenneth Matthew Dudney, Nathaniel Mandrel Dudney and a daughter, Jaime Dudney (born February 23, 1976)
Jaime Dudney is an actress who starred in the movies Get the Heart: The Barbara Mandrell Story, Get a Job and As the World Turns.
BARBARA MANDRELL AGE
Barbara Mandrell was born in Houston, Texas on December 25, 1948. She is 72 years old. She is the eldest daughter and first child in a family of five.
She has two younger sisters, Thelma Louise Mandrell and Ellen Irlene Mandrell who are also musicians.
Her immediate younger sister, Thelma, was born on July 13, 1954. Her youngest sister, Ellen, was born 18 months after the birth of Thelma on January 29, 1956.
RELATIONSHIPS AND EDUCATION
In terms of relationship, Barbara Mandrell has been married for over 50 years, marrying her husband, Ken Dudney in 1967.
Ken Dudney was the drummer of the Mandrell Family Band which was founded by Barbara, her sisters and their parents.
Barbara Mandrell graduated from Oceanside High School, and she married Ken shortly after she graduated from school.
She learned to play the pedal steel and the lap steel guitar. She is also adept at playing the piano, banjo, saxophone, and many other musical instruments.
She played the pedal steel guitar so well that Pasty Cline once wrote “a 13-year-old blonde doll who plays the steel guitar out of this world! What a show woman!”
HEIGHT AND MEASUREMENT
Barbara Mandrell’s height is measured at 5ft2in, which is about 157cm. She has a blue eye colour. She is blonde, and her sexual orientation is straight.
There are no specifics to her weight, but she is around 52kg and weighs 115lb. Her body measurements and statistics are also given as 33-26-35.
SOCIAL MEDIA ACCOUNTS
Barbara Mandrell does not seem to be active on social media. She, however, has a Twitter handle which has been opened since 2011.
Nonetheless, the account having only 146 tweets since then is an indication she is not all that active on social media.
She uses the page to share her thoughts but mostly to promote her clothing merchandise.
Barbara also has a Facebook page which uses to promote her merchandise as well.
NET WORTH AND INCOME
Although she retired from performing music over 20 years ago, Barbara has a reported net worth of $45 million.
Asides making music, she was also an actress. Presently, she has clothing merchandise she promotes.
BARBARA MANDRELL AWARDS
Barbara Mandrell is a hugely decorated figure. She has received several awards all through her career and even after she retired from the industry.
Here is a list of her the awards in her cabinet,
| 1971 | Academy of Country Music Awards | Top New Female Vocalist |
| 1976 | Music City News Country | Most Promising Female Artist of the Year |
| 1978 | Academy of Country Music Awards | Top Female Vocalist |
| 1979 | Music City News Country | Female Artist of the Year |
| 1979 | Country Music Association Awards | Female Vocalist of the Year |
| 1980 | Academy of Country Music Awards | Entertainer of the Year |
| 1980 | Country Music Association Awards | Entertainer of the Year |
| 1980 | American Music Awards | Favourite Country Single – “Sleeping Single In a Double Bed” |
| 1981 | Academy of Country Music Awards | Top Female Vocalist |
| 1981 | Country Music Association Awards | Entertainer of the Year |
| 1981 | Country Music Association Awards | Female Vocalist of the Year |
| 1981 | American Music Awards | Favourite Female Country Artist |
| 1981 | Music City News Country | Comedian of the Year |
| 1981 | Music City News Country | Female Artist of the Year |
| 1981 | Music City News Country | Instrumentalist of the Year |
| 1981 | People magazine | 25 Most Intriguing List |
| 1982 | People’s Choice Awards | Favourite All-Around Female Performer |
| 1982 | People’s Choice Awards | Favourite Female Personality |
| 1982 | People’s Choice Awards | Favourite Female Musical Performer |
| 1982 | Music City News Country | Female Artist of the Year |
| 1982 | Music City News Country | Instrumentalist of the Year |
| 1983 | People’s Choice Awards | Favourite All-Around Female Performer |
| 1983 | American Music Awards | Favourite Female Country Artist |
| 1983 | Grammy Awards | Best Inspirational Performance – “He Set My Life to Music” |
| 1984 | People’s Choice Awards | Favourite All-Around Female Musical Performer |
| 1984 | American Music Awards | Favourite Female Country Artist |
| 1984 | Grammy Awards | Best Soul Gospel Duo Performance — “I’m So Glad We’re Standing Here Today” (w/ Bobby Jones) |
| 1985 | American Music Awards | Favourite Female Country Artist |
| 1985 | Music City News Country | Living Legend Award |
| 1985 | People’s Choice Awards | Favourite All-Around Female Performer |
| 1985 | People’s Choice Awards | Favourite Female Musical Performer |
| 1986 | People’s Choice Awards | All-Around Female Performer |
| 1987 | People’s Choice Award | All-Around Female Performer |
| 1987 | American Music Awards | Favourite Female Country Artist |
| 1991 | TNN/Music City News Awards | Minnie Pearl Award |
| 1992 | Woman of the World | Woman of the World Award (tied w/Oprah Winfrey) |
| 1999 | Country-Gospel Music Hall of Fame | Elected to the Country-Gospel Hall of Fame |
| 2001 | Academy of Country Music Awards | Pioneer Award |
| 2002 | CMT’s 40 Greatest Women of Country Music | Rank No. 38 |
| 2005 | Academy of Country Music | Triple Crown Award |
| 2007 | People magazine | Ranked in the “100 Most Beautiful” list |
| 2008 | People magazine | Ranked in “100 Most Beautiful at any age” list |
| 2009 | Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum | Inductee |
| 2009 | Southern Music Gospel Association | James D. Vaughan Impact Award |
| 2012 | Arts Music Guild | Favourite Retro Artist |
| 2014 | Musicians Hall of Fame and Museum | Inductee |
